Best of Test 2012: #3 K2 Happy Hour

Perhaps one of the most intimidating-looking boards to emerge as of late, the K2 Happy Hour is an unapologetic approach to building a model for riders looking to add more character to their quiver. Despite its overtly aggressive trappings, the Happy Hour tested much better than predicted, even proving to be surprisingly accessible to less-seasoned shreds. Beyond the pointy shape, the most striking aspect of the Happy Hour is its Hybritaper sidewalls, which feature a slimmed-down application of a traditional sidewall between the bindings, smoothly blending to a thin cap at the contact points, with material continuing to taper down at the apex of the tip and tail. A less overt aspect of the Happy Hour is the injection of the Ollie Bar within the WH3 core. The Ollie Bar places a proprietary matrix of carbon, Kevlar, and glass between the center points of the front and back binding inserts. Though the Happy Hour is Flatline and void of camber, the Ollie Bar is laid up within the core in an arc mimicking traditional camber. This is how the spring and pop of the Happy Hour is bolstered considerably, and why most riders who get their hands on one of these will be left wondering why they didn't think to call it the "Happy Season."